Ahmedabad – Australia stunned hosts India in Ahmedabad to win the men’s Cricket World Cup for a sixth time.
Australia quietened the wild support from the 100 000-strong home crowd by dismissing their previously unbeaten opponents for 240 before Travis Head’s sensational century meant they romped to victory with seven overs to spare.
After their bowlers expertly took advantage of a slow pitch, Australia were themselves reduced to 47-three as India hit back in an electric new-ball spell.
But Head and Marnus Labuschagne calmly weathered the storm with a stand of 192 as Indian hope drifted away from the world’s largest cricket stadium.
Head was caught for 132 from 120 balls with just two runs needed, but Glenn Maxwell flogged the winning runs a ball later while Labuschagne ended 58 not out from 110.
The superb victory means Australia extend their record as the most successful side in 50-over World Cup history and now sit four titles clear of the rest of the pack.
It also caps a six-month period in which they beat India to win the World Test Championship and retained the Ashes in England.
India, meanwhile, were left crestfallen as their bid for a first white-ball title since 2011 – an achievement which looked unstoppable as they made rampant progress through the semi-final and group stage – fell at the final hurdle.
Summarised scores: India 240 all out in 50 overs: (KL Rahul 66, Virat Kohli 54; Mitchell Starc 3-55). Australia 241-4 in 43 overs (Travis Head 13, Marnus Labuschagne 58). Australia won by six wickets.
